Headache

The famous Carmelite Water, first made by 17th century Carmelite nuns was used to treat nervous headache and neuralgia. It combined lemon balm with lemon-peel, nutmeg, coriander and angelica root. Here’s a recipe:

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups vodka

3 tablespoons dried angelica leaves, and stalks

3 tablespoons dried lemon balm leaves

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, bruised

1 nutmeg, cut into strips

2 tablespoons cloves

cinnamon sticks

Instructions:

Pour the vodka into a jar. Add the remaining ingredients,cover tightly and shake. Leave in a warm place for three weeks, shaking every day. Strain into a sterilized bottle and store in a cool place. Use within six months.

Anacin and Excedrin claim that their “extra ingredient” provides greater pain relief. What is it? Caffeine. Many reports, including one in the Archives of Internal Medicine, have shown that adding about 65 milligrams of caffeine to aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen increases pain relief by around 40 percent.

Caffeine blocks pain perception, has pain-relieving action, and elevates mood, which also helps minimize pain. Next time you have a headache, wash down your favorite pain pill with coffee or tea for more relief.

British scientists at the University of Exeter analyzed six studies of feverfew, concluding that the herb significantly reduces the frequency of migraine occurrence. “In my experience,” Duke says, “feverfew prevents migraines in about two-thirds of those who use it consistently.”